Holiday Dining

(NAPSI)—Here’s a great way to make holiday entertaining easier
and more fun for everyone: Ham it up. Not with just any ham, however. Stock
up on Prosciuttodi Parma.
Prosciuttodi Parma is an
excellent item to keep in your fridge during the holidays because it offers a
variety of ways to elevate any meal, from your main dish to festive
appetizers or straight out of the package to the plate for a last-minute charcuterie
board.

Prosciutto, which means “ham” in
Italian, is aged by a special dry-curing process. Discriminating palates are
partial to the delicate, savory flavor of Prosciuttodi Parma. It can be produced only from specially
bred pigs in the countryside surrounding the city of Parma, Italy. In Parma,
the art of making prosciutto is passed on from
generation to generation and the methods used thousands of years ago have
remained consistent. So has the guarantee of the Parma Crown, fire-branded on
every leg, and visible on every presliced package,
so that you know it’s a 100 percent natural product made with no
additives or preservatives, just sea salt, air and time.

One great way to serve it is in this elegant, flavorful appetizer.

Prosciuttodi Parma Cranberry
Crostini

⅓ cup cranberry compote
(recipe below)

1 18-inch baguette

¼ lb melting cheese such as
white cheddar, grated

10 slices Prosciuttodi Parma

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Cranberry compote

12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

3 Tbsp butter

6 Tbsp light brown sugar

6 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp grated orange rind

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350° F. For the
cranberry compote: Rinse and drain the cranberries well. Melt 3 tablespoons
butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the
cranberries and other ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until
cranberries start to break down and mixture thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

For the crostini
appetizer: Slice baguette into 24 rounds about ½-inch thick. Place
rounds on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake until
toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Divide cheese on top of the toast
rounds and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
Top with a thin layer of cranberry compote, then
place ½ slice of prosciutto on top.

The tart cranberries paired with sweet yet salty Prosciuttodi Parma and savory cheese will have you and your
guests enjoying these crostini all night long.
Bursting with flavors just right for the holidays, they pair well with a bold
red wine to bring out all the rich flavors further.